This Dreamy Argentine Steakhouse Is LA’s Finest Classic Restaurant | Eater LA

"My favorite of the classic Hollywood and West Hollywood stalwarts—and maybe my most-visited Los Angeles restaurant of the past year—this Argentine steakhouse on the western edge of Melrose Avenue has, since the mid-’90s, delivered expert grilled chops, homey empanadas, razor-thin beef carpaccio, and an extensive wine selection. The relatively small dining room exudes a timeless feel with large mirrors, high ceilings, white tablecloths, and leather-bound menus that give it a very old-school Midtown Manhattan vibe. Provoleta, cut tableside and served with a glorious golden sear, is a salty, satisfying way to start; I cut the richness with sliced tomatoes or herbaceous, tangy chimichurri on crusty bread. Paper-thin carpaccio with a mound of peppery arugula and crumbled Parmesan is a nice way to feel like I’m eating a salad when I’m really eating meat. Empanadas are baked until craggy and well-browned, like warm torpedoes filled with cheesy spinach or seasoned ground beef, and are best dabbed with chimichurri. Thin-sliced sweetbreads, grilled like yakitori skewers, gain a smoky flavor from the charcoal grill and taste like tender beef nuggets. The traditional parillada has five different cuts, including short rib and blood sausage, but if ordering a la carte, I focus on the entraña (skirt steak), juicy and pleasantly chewy with an iron-like funk, and the tapa de ojo (ribeye cap), sumptuous and tender—a beefy coup de grâce sourced from the cow’s best cut. Operated by Armenian brothers Gerard and Max Bozoghlian, it also hides a great post-dinner move: I like to walk around the building to the covered back patio, built during the pandemic, which has a cocktail bar for martinis and even a small cigar menu for post-prandial smokes. To end the night, the Bozoghlians’ mother Azniv’s dulce de leche meringue cake is a legendary dessert—built like a geological feature and served in slices, it’s a delightful mix of fluffy, cakey, and sticky textures that’s the ideal finish." - Matthew Kang